I always love making my own Valentine Cards and this year’s are super simple, from a couple of things I already had- cardstock and yarn.

Mixed media always makes for a cute card plus this is an easy card for kids to help with!!

Supplies:

• Yarn
• Cardstock
• Whole puncher (or something else to punch holes with like a nail)
• Scotch tape
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pencil

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Steps:

1. Choose your paper colors. You’ll need at least 2.

2. Select a paper to be the one for weaving and lightly draw an outline of your heart (or whatever shape you want to weave)

3. Cut out a rectangle or square shape around the drawing that’s small enough so your hole puncher can reach all around the pencil lines. (this won’t matter as much if you’re making holes with something else)

4. Using the hole puncher, punch holes all around the pencil line. The closer the better, but don’t get the holes too close together so they turn into one big hole!

5. Erase your pencil lines

6. Cut a piece of yarn probably at least 18-24” and wrap a little tape around one end to make weaving easier. Tie a not in the other end of the yarn

7. Start weaving in whatever direction you like to make your design. Tie off the yarn on the back when you’re done.

8. That’s pretty much it, just glue the woven paper to a folded card and add whatever details or extras you like. *I used hot glue because it was easier since the yarn made everything thicker.

**Heads up the cupcake was a little trickier but fun to play around with! I did do two layers of string for the cupcake icing to make it thicker.

Once again I’m validating myself for saving scraps!

My daughter wanted to start making ornaments for gifts so after looking around we found scrap wood that we could cut into cubes, which became inspiration for these cute present ornaments!

All you need to do is:

• Sand a wooden block if not smooth. *If you don’t have scrap wood or a saw to cut wood any craft store, Walmart, and Amazon, sells wooden cubes
• Paint the block a base color with craft paint
• Add dots (we used a toothpick), stripes, or whatever pattern you choose in an accent color. We love how the gold looks kind of Christmas-y!
• Add ribbon like you’re wrapping a present

Tip: Save ribbon when it comes on blankets, towels, or other gifts and later use it for crafts!

• Cut a piece (roughly 6”) of twine, string, smaller ribbon, or whatever you have to be the loop for hanging. Thread it under the bow on top of the present. You can add a dot of hot glue under the ribbon for extra strength too

Ta da!! How cute are they as a little collection?!

A great craft for elementary aged or even preschool kids with help.

Let me know if you try it!

Painting with a small scrap of wood.

Yep, just something with a fairly smooth edge and and an easy size for you to hold (this is like a 3×3” block). For paint, choose something with a primer in it for best adhesion or just use a white primer if you want the result to be white anyway.

Next you just do a healthy dip in your paint, wipe some of the extra on the side of the can, and without pressing too hard smear it across your surface.

That’s pretty much it, just repeat to cover all surfaces and you may do a light sanding over the finish to smooth any “block” strokes. Then of course, add whatever details you desire on top and voilà!

Few more samples of pieces I’ve done this way…

So I’m always brainstorming craft ideas for my art-loving daughter (okay yes, and for myself), and this time it was for card making! Mother’s Day is coming up so I was trying to think of a unique card she could make that would be simple, fun, and also lovely. When thinking of Mother’s Day, flowers just seem to go… so I was thinking of something florally but also what I already had around the house and I realized we have lots of magazines that need to be recycled. Thus…the idea for floral-inspired magazine collage cards! We tried two styles- a wreath and a garden theme.

Simple steps

• Gather Materials: Magazines, Scissors, Glue Stick, 2 pieces of Card Stock (may want to choose your colors after seeing what flowers you can find in your magazine), Marker/Sharpie

• Scan through the magazines to find flowers/leaves/stems, preferably similar in size but you can always trim them up too.
• Cut out your flowers, leaves, and stems! If you don’t see any leaves or stems, find something green in the magazine and make your own. They add a nice touch!

• Play around with an arrangement then use a glue stick to glue your cut outs to a piece of cardstock in the size you like. I glued the flowers first then added the leaves. FYI Liquid glue will likely make the magazine wrinkle as it dries.

• Choose a color for the second piece of cardstock that compliments your design. Cut it to the right size and glue the two pieces of cardstock together, making a lovely little frame around your design- ta da!
• Tip: to help the card stick together better and for all to be nice and flat- stick it in a book for a hour to dry.

• Lastly just add what you like for the messaging. In our case, it’s for Mother’s Day, but maybe yours is a Thinking of You, Happy Birthday, Hello, etc.
• Write in pencil first to get it like you like or use a stamp
• Hope they turn out lovely!!

We recently got this

adorable little guy for my daughter and I knew right away I’d better find him something to scratch on. So, I tried making something a little less blab and obvious than your ordinary cat scratching post.

Materials:

1. Cardboard mailing tube, or maybe a tall can?
2. Old book at least a couple inches thick
3. Sisal rope. Bought mine here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DKA3S6A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
4. Drill and circular drill bit
5. Hot glue gun and glue sticks

   

 

Steps:

1. Cut mailing tube to desired height. Careful not to make it too tall or it’it’ll tip over
2. Use drill and circular bit to hollow out a hole in the center of your book. Hole size should be just barely bigger than the diameter of your mailing tube and as deep as you can get it without going through the book
3. Line hole with hot glue and insert tube. Hopefully it fits snug.
4. Cut one short piece of sisal rope to make a nice, flush first row at the bottom of the tube. Stick with hot glue.
5. From here on keep applying glue every few inches and wrapping the rope up.
6. When you get to the top you can try wrapping the rope over the top lip and into the tube so it makes a nice finish.

   

The end! Kitty likes it! And from a 100ft of rope there was plenty left for other projects.

Also, check out my next post on fun things to do with the book page circle cut outs! I don’t waste much:-)